If God never gives us more than we can handle

[Storm4star]

Why do so many people commit suicide? Clearly they were given way more than they could handle. It’s one of the main reasons I have totally lost any faith I had.

[Vitalogy]

Yes, I think it's an odd saying too.
My thoughts are of god being a life force/energy that's within/outside everything, other than a father figure type. Makes more sense to me.

[Mountainsoutofmolehills]

silly thread.

[WickedLazy]

Not a silly thread, a thread about a silly saying.

[newdaylight]

I guess the the answer for some one who believed that saying is that God isn't in charge of everything that happens, or everything that people are 'given '

[WiseOldElfIsNick]

What reason is there to believe that god never gives us more than we can handle?

[eurochick]

Ive never heard that before but it's quite clearly bollocks.

[Nakedavenger74]

Tell that to a starving child, person dying of a disease or a refugee currently caged up in the US without their parents.

Or is this another situation where he 'doesn't get involved' (but clearly involves himself in exam passes, goal scoring etc)?

[NotTakenUsername]

I have heard that before in my religious past. There are lots of convoluted ways to justify it even in cases of extreme tragedy and hardship.

However, they are extremely convoluted. I don’t tend to agree and I don’t relish being a shot messenger!

[DamsonGin]

Every now and then there will be a meme popping up on FB along the lines of 'god only gives special kids to strong mamas' and it makes me want to punch the screen. Parenting has almost broken me and the notion that god goes round giving children extra difficulties in life, sometimes really significant ones, is fairly abhorrent.

Life is much easier not believing in god and just going with the luck of genetics and circumstance.

[WiseOldElfIsNick]

My thoughts are of god being a life force/energy that's within/outside everything

Purely curiosity, but what does it mean to say that something is outside of everything?

[CalvinJohn]

I read an article on this recently. I'll try to find. When it says God does not give you more than you can handle it's not about a growing list of hard things like death of a loved One, job redundancy, a close friend getting cancer etc. The verse has been taken way out if context as to it's meaning.

I'll try to get back with article it explains it far better than I can.

Hugs to anyone suffering right now.

[slippermaiden]

I find this an odd saying. I am learning to live a Christian life and I gain a lot of comfort from reading the Bible and attending Quaker meeting, I truly feel a great joy inside me. I think bad things happen to some people for no reason, not sent from God. However, the people who help others through difficult times and illnesses are living as Jesus did.

[akkakk]

the biblical view on this is that you are not given more than you can handle...

...with the support of God

on the other hand, with a large % of the population not even believing in God, they won't be turning to God for that support - so they will be handling anything they receive on their own...

[Vitalogy]

Purely curiosity, but what does it mean to say that something is outside of everything? Basically everywhere and everything. Did you watch that video, any opinion/thoughts?

[MyTeapot]

I always thought it was an encouraging "you can get through this" sort of comment.

I'm atheist so if someone said that to me I'd hope think they were being supportive.

[Walkingdeadfangirl]

God never gives us more than we can handle
I have always found that messed up. It implies that life consists of a series of obstacles/crises/disasters that god gives us. What happened to free will? Why do people worship the god that does that, its like a snuff movie writ large!

[headinhands]

on the other hand, with a large % of the population not even believing in God, they won't be turning to God for that support - so they will be handling anything they receive on their own...


Which is why Christians never commit suicide. No, wait. They do. Oops.

[IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere]

There is no Biblical basis for this saying. The closest is 1 Corinthians 10 v 13 ......God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.....

This verse applies to Christians and it refers to committing sin, something that is done by choice, not to adverse circumstances or hard times.

So far as hard times go - even the Apostle Paul said that at times things were too much for him to bear.

When it comes to suicide a very wise vicar described it as "dying of depression" dying from an illness in the same way as from any other illness. Not because of some moral weakness on someone's part.

[akkakk]

on the other hand, with a large % of the population not even believing in God, they won't be turning to God for that support - so they will be handling anything they receive on their own...

Which is why Christians never commit suicide. No, wait. They do. Oops.

Being a Christian does not mean that you are turning to God for support in every issue - being a Christian is not some magic switch that means you have no temptations / everything is nice and smooth in life - Christians simply are those who have chosen to give their life to Christ / to follow Christ - that decision is the start of an amazing journey, but it is no less tough a journey than anyone else's and there will be many times in that journey when the Christian walks closely with Christ and those are amazing times - but equally, there will be many times when the Christian walks a path well away from that of Christ - and those times will be tough

so yes, Christians suffer from depression and other 'issues' as much as anyone else - there will be for some times that are too much to handle, and if they coincide with a time of their life when they are far from Christ, then suicide can seem to be a way out...

[headinhands]

so yes, Christians suffer from depression and other 'issues' as much as anyone else - there will be for some times that are too much to handle, and if they coincide with a time of their life when they are far from Christ, then suicide can seem to be a way out

So you're saying that the only time a Christian commits suicide it's because they have walked away from god? So we can say that all Christians who killed themselves sort of have themselves to blame?

[TheFaerieQueene]

So your ‘god’ thinks that tiny babies can handle starvation, malaria, war, hiv etc etc.

These trite ‘wisdoms’ from religion just expose it for the nonsense it all is.

[Storm4star]

I believed in God for a long time, most of my life, until one more thing I had to "handle" happened a couple of years back. It was then like an epiphany (maybe a reverse epiphany) where I realised God didn't exist. Now my life still has the same ups and downs it did before. Nothing has changed but I actually feel far more free. There is no more wondering about why God is "letting" me suffer this or that. No more trying to understand his "plan" for me. I can just accept that sometimes life is good, sometimes its shit, and that's ok.

I was prompted to post really by a sad documentary I was watching while on MN the other night where a 14 year old girl committed suicide. That's what brought it back into my mind at that point.

[MyTeapot]

I believed in God for a long time, most of my life, until one more thing I had to "handle" happened a couple of years back. It was then like an epiphany (maybe a reverse epiphany) where I realised God didn't exist. Now my life still has the same ups and downs it did before. Nothing has changed but I actually feel far more free. There is no more wondering about why God is "letting" me suffer this or that. No more trying to understand his "plan" for me. I can just accept that sometimes life is good, sometimes its shit, and that's ok.

What a lovely realisation
Yes sometimes it really is just a case of shit happens and although it doesn't make the problem go away, I can well imagine letting go of scrabbling for answers must bring some peace. I have an ex-catholic friend who described a massive dark cloud lifting when she experienced something similar.

[NotTakenUsername]

so yes, Christians suffer from depression and other 'issues' as much as anyone else - there will be for some times that are too much to handle, and if they coincide with a time of their life when they are far from Christ, then suicide can seem to be a way out...

What other issues? Please elaborate. Also, can you please explain why you put issues in inverted commas?

Lastly, to clarify. It appears you are asserting that the person who walks close to Christ is immune from mental illness, have I understood that correctly?

[MyTeapot]

on the other hand, with a large % of the population not even believing in God, they won't be turning to God for that support - so they will be handling anything they receive on their own...

As a member of that large %, I can assure you that if I receive encounter problems I don't need to face them alone. I get support... from other people.